The Shortest Distance Between Two Points
by runicmagitek
Summary: Aeris visits Tifa before she leaves. Mid-canon Aeris/Tifa


_for aerti week 2019 on tumblr_

_day 3 - warm tones / alone together / firsts and lasts / sweven: a vision seen in sleep; a dream_

* * *

One moment she was there. Then she was gone. Hundreds of questions surfaced, each one tied to the elusive location of both the Black Materia and Sephiroth, but it all yielded to a single thought: where was Aeris?

Tifa lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as if the answers were hidden in the plaster. Since the Temple of the Ancients, her disappearance haunted Tifa. The others focused on Cloud's unconscious body and while she worried about him too, at least he was physically there. But Aeris? Who knew what became of her?

She squeezed her eyes shut and ignored the fresh wave of nausea. No, she wasn't gone. Not like that. Maybe she was somewhere else and would come back. But did she even know where they were? What if Sephiroth captured her? Tifa rolled to her side, the uncertainty relentlessly rattling her.

Releasing a breath, she opened her eyes. Sunlight peeked through the windows in the foreign room. Barret insisted she should rest; Tifa was convinced he said it due to her pacing making _him_ anxious. What good would rest do when every part of her screamed to act, to move, to do _something_ that didn't involve sitting around and waiting? Whoever accomplished anything that way? She chuckled lightly. Aeris would have said that. Tifa liked that about her.

She liked _a lot_ of things about her.

Another groan and Tifa flung onto her opposite side, curling into herself and slamming a pillow over her head. It blocked out the world, but did little to numb the thoughts bombarding her. And when her heart skipped at the idea of Aeris, there was no denying the truth. Everyone else considered her an ally and friend. For Tifa, she thought of Aeris and smiled, wishing they had known each other in a time when they didn't need to run for their lives or save the planet.

Maybe things would have worked out better—for the world, for the people, for _them_. Maybe life would have been different. Better, even. Maybe Tifa wouldn't have been afraid to pursue Aeris and tell her—no, _show_ her—how she truly felt since the beginning.

The opportunity for that was long gone. Every day presented a new obstacle and further separated them. Perhaps not physically, but emotionally. She longed to scoop Aeris into her arms and kiss her face until she smiled again, until she stopped worrying about what the future held for the planet. Despite Aeris' cheerful charm, Tifa saw through the recent masks; she wore them herself, after all. Something troubled her and it pained Tifa to know she couldn't help.

And whatever it was, it wasn't a conflict to be won with fists and dexterity. This stirred within Aeris and forced her to wear a smile. It was Aeris' battle, not Tifa's. Despite that, she wished to do something—anything—to offer comfort and support. Maybe if Aeris knew that, she wouldn't have disappeared.

Maybe she would return, back to AVALANCHE, back to friends and allies.

Back to Tifa.

She drew her knees into her chest. The very notion ached her heart, worse than the tension of being next to her and yet feeling miles away. Of course Tifa fell for her. What wasn't there to love about Aeris? It was in the way she laughed, the way she admired the smallest luxuries, the way she smiled despite the circumstances. It was all the unspoken words when she basked in silence and the endless chatter when excitement imbued her. It was how she wore that ribbon and what she wished for the world and when she chose to be kind despite the hell she traversed.

Aeris was everything Tifa wasn't and she loved her for it. Now she feared the worst knowing Aeris was missing, knowing she never told her what she truly felt.

She released a deep sigh. Tifa flopped onto her back, head lolling to the side. Warm sunlight continued to trickle in—the last rays before twilight. She watched the fiery hues bleed into the white walls and ceiling. It almost reminded her of when they first met and the dress Aeris wore. Crimson suited her. And dusk would suit her now, too.

Tifa imagined her laughing and dancing along the horizon. The sun would turn her light brown hair into a blazing halo. It made Tifa smile. The image lingered with her, eyes falling shut and breaths lengthening. The glow in the room faded, as did Tifa, but the warmth smoldered within.

Inhale, exhale. She sank further into the mattress and into a quiet abyss. Finally, her thoughts abated. When was the last time she experienced utter calmness? Had she ever? Tifa liked to think there had been a time when nothing worried her, when her prime concern was what outfit to wear. She missed those days, missed the comfort they brought. But if she had never strayed from that path, then she never would have met _her_.

Something shifted around Tifa—a sudden breeze or perhaps a drop in temperature. She stirred, then froze; soft laughter bounced like an echo. Forcing her eyes open, Tifa winced at the warm haze blurring her surroundings. Dust particles caught in the brilliant rays flowing through the windows. The light caught in a mess of loose curls framing a familiar face looming over her.

A million words screamed for attention, only to lump in Tifa's throat and render her speechless. No, this wasn't right… and yet, there she was.

She smiled at Tifa and tilted her head, hair slipping out from behind her ear. "Hey, sleepyhead."

Tifa blinked. Her mouth parted and dried.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Aeris?" she said with a hitch in her throat.

Green eyes blinked while she sat back on her heels. The mattress groaned beneath the slightest shift in weight. "Mmm?"

"W-what are you—"

"I came to see you. Is that alright?"

"But… you were… where did you—"

Two fingers pressed into Tifa's lips. The gesture was tender, innocent, and yet heat burned Tifa's cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay. No need to worry. I'm here now. That's all that matters."

The fingers drifted down and away, catching lightly on Tifa's bottom lip. She swore Aeris lingered there for an extra second before retracting her hand. Part of Tifa wanted to cling to her and return those soft fingers to her lips.

"You're here," Tifa said, staring in disbelief.

"I am," Aeris murmured.

"This is… this is real."

"Of course it is." She paused. "Do you not want it to be?"

"No!" Tifa blurted out. "That's not what I meant. I—" She evaded Aeris' gaze in hopes her blush would simmer down. "I missed you," she whispered.

A hand scooped up her cheek and gently returned her face to center. Aeris hovered above, the tips of her hair teasing Tifa's nose. Her thumbs smoothed over Tifa's skin and brushed past the corner of her mouth.

"I missed you, too," Aeris said, just as tender as the hand caressing Tifa, as those green eyes regarding her with nothing but longing.

Had Aeris' features ever been that way before? Better yet, had she ever looked to Tifa as she did now? Perhaps Tifa should have paid better attention instead of wallowing in her own doubt and insecurities. Her toxic thoughts lifted like a fog yielding to sunrise as Aeris dipped in closer. Her nose bumped with Tifa's, then her eyes closed.

"I missed you so much," she whispered, the words beating along Tifa's lips. "More than words can describe."

Her heart vaulted into her throat and dared to choke Tifa. It prevented her from uttering the million things she wished to say to Aeris. But it didn't restrain her from tilting her head until their lips met.

And Aeris didn't pull away; she sank in and cooed.

More than words can describe. That was how she explained it. Now with their lips locked, Tifa agreed—nothing properly articulated the overflowing emotions.

Fingers threaded loose curls. Their bodies met and melded into a single motion, rocking like the waves of the ocean. Gentle gasps existed between them when they replenished their lungs before diving in for kiss after kiss after kiss. Moans vibrated through them and filled the room. A thousand fires ignited within Tifa; Aeris alone could satiate her desires.

Curious hands explored one another and Tifa reveled in both the subtle curves crushed against her and the fingers curling under the hem of her top. Sharp, yet light inhales surfaced as they grew acquainted with each other. Tifa longed to spend the rest of her life discovering what made Aeris squirm and moan and chew her lip and cling to the pillow and eventually cry out Tifa's name.

She wanted to drown in the woman who captured her attention. She wanted to prove what influence Aeris had on her and how eager she was to reciprocate every sweet gesture. She wanted Aeris, just as she was—flaws and perfections alike.

And when she tumbled and brought Aeris with her, giggling and cooing all the while, Tifa scanned her and held her breath. Brown hair splayed across the bed, lost in the warm glow of the setting sun. Those green eyes glistened as she smiled.

"Hey," Aeris breathed out.

She tucked Tifa's hair behind her ear before ghosting her cheek. Tifa kissed her palm. "Hey," she murmured.

"You alright?"

"Mmm, yeah. Why?"

"You stopped and got quiet."

Tifa chuckled. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"You." She peppered kisses down Aeris' face to her neck and then her clavicle. "You're beautiful."

Aeris smoothed a hand over Tifa's head. "So are you." She paused. "I wish we could stay here. Just like this."

"What's stopping us?"

Laughter graced the room. "Not enough to keep me from seeing you again."

But the joyous sound died and Tifa's brows tented. "But?"

"But," Aeris sighed out, her smile turning bittersweet, "I'll need to go eventually."

"Why?"

"Because if I don't, then no one will."

"You don't need to go alone, Aeris. I… I'll go with you." Tifa blinked away the tears welling in her eyes. "I can protect you."

She snaked her arms around Tifa's neck. "You're so kind. Always thinking of others before yourself. That's what I love that about you." Aeris tugged her down. Their foreheads met. "I'm afraid I have to do this alone." Tifa shook her head and Aeris cupped her face. "Hey, don't cry. It's okay. Think of it this way—this is my chance to protect _you_ for a change."

"You don't have to fight."

"Maybe, but I have a reason to fight. I have something to protect."

Tears rolled off her face and splashed Aeris' soft skin. That smile never faded, always regarding Tifa with a mixture of wisdom and compassion. In moments like that, she forgot the slum life Aeris grew up in. For all the darkness dwelling in Midgar's underbelly, it never marred the light she carried with her. If anything, it gave her more reason to shine.

She didn't need to ask what Aeris wished to protect. One glance said enough.

"I'll come back when it's over," Aeris murmured.

Tifa closed her eyes. "I wish you could stay."

"I wish I never had to leave. But hey." Her lips grazed along Tifa's. "Why don't we make the most of it?" She kissed the corner of her mouth. "Make me forget everything—" Another kiss on the opposite corner. "—except you. Only you. Now and tomorrow and forever."

She caught Aeris' looming mouth. The kiss seared something new, more fuel to their already roaring pyre. Tifa sank down, leveled with her form, and devoured her delectable lips.

"I love you," Tifa said, the words skittering on her tongue in between kisses.

Aeris paused and smiled against her. "Tell me again."

I love you, she said while kissing beyond her lips until she moaned. I love you, she said with each discarded garment. I love you, she said as their bodies adjusted to one another and squirmed for more. I love you, she said through gasps and pants and whimpers and cries. I love you, she said as they tangled in sheets and clung to each other as if their lives depended on it.

I love you, she said when their bodies thrummed in the afterglow, slick with sweat that glistened in the sun.

And Aeris smiled, nuzzling into the pillow. Heavy eyelids struggled to stay open. She pawed for Tifa, who kissed Aeris' knuckles and brought the small hand to her heart, where it pulsed only for her. Always for her.

"I love you," Tifa echoed again, exhaustion bleeding into her voice while sleep dared to claim her.

"I love you, too," Aeris replied. "Never forget that."

"How could I ever forget you?"

She didn't reply, but Tifa remembered her smile in that warm room. The light blurred and yielded to darkness, but the heat she shared with Aeris remained. She would have burrowed in that sensation if possible; instead, she clung to that smile and the moment they shared and the promise they made to one another.

And when Tifa opened her eyes, the blue haze of twilight permeated the world and she was alone.

Jolting to seated, Tifa scanned the premise. There was no sign of anyone intruding her room, never mind Aeris. A cold sweat enveloped Tifa while she raked fingers through her hair.

_Was it a dream?_ she wondered. _But__…._ Fingertips brushed her lips. Her scent, her taste, all of it lingered. Heaving out a tremendous sigh, Tifa hugged her knees and buried her blushing face.

"Wherever you are," Tifa whispered, "I'm coming for you. Just hang on."

She hoped the planet carried her voice to Aeris. She hoped she _knew._

She hoped their first time would not be their last.


End file.
